Police, community and calendar briefs for March 18, 2013

Published: Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 10:08 p.m.

Last Modified: Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 10:08 p.m.

Police beat

Deputies look for bathroom bandit

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office was called in Saturday to look into the theft of at least a dozen rolls of toilet paper and paper towels from public bathrooms at the Santos Trailhead on the Florida Greenway Trail.

According to the sheriff’s office report, an attendant who cleans facilities at area state parks found the paper towel dispenser “ripped of the wall” and the toilet paper missing Saturday morning. The trailhead is only a few hundred yards from a sheriff’s substation at U.S. 441 and Southeast 80th Street.

The attendant reported a similar theft at another park in northeast Ocala recently. The loss of paper products and damages were estimated at $75, according to the report.

Deputies, volunteers still search for man

Another round of searching for a man missing for several weeks failed Sunday to find any trace of the 64-year-old Oak Run resident.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office search and rescue team, assisted by volunteers, scoured woods near the intersection of Southwest 80th Avenue and Southwest 103rd Street Road.

Thomas Edward Mascaro has been missing since late February, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Reportedly his car was in the garage and his driver’s license, cash and debit card were in the house.

Mascaro is described as a white male who stands 5-foot, 8-inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has gray hair, a beard and brown eyes.

“He used to walk around the neighborhood,” said Denise Leigh, an Oak Run neighbor who joined the search Sunday. “He stayed pretty much to himself and didn’t initiate conversations.”

According to a sheriff’s office report, Mascaro has been known to walk trails on the nearby Florida Greenway.

“His being missing is suspicious only in that we want to know he’s OK,” said Capt. Grady Grimes, sheriff’s watch commander on Sunday. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Jerry Bevan at 427-7682.

Community

YMCA scholarship luncheon planned

Annual scholarship luncheon

The annual YMCA Scholarship kick-off luncheon will be held at noon Thursday at the YMCA, 3200 SE 17th St. Ocala.

Reservations are required by Wednesday. For more information, call 368-9622.

FWC to host an open house for fishermen

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission freshwater fisheries biologists are looking for angler input during an open house 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Gander Mountain, 3970 SW Third St., Ocala. For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing.

Deadline for essay contest approaches

The deadline for Olive Garden’s 17th annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest, which asks students “How would you help end hunger in your community?” is Friday.

Students in first through 12th grades can submit an essay of 50 to 250 words.

The grand-prize winner is a three-day family trip to New York City and a $2,500 U.S. Savings Bond and Olive Garden will provide a $5,000 grant to support hunger initiatives in his or her community. Winners in each of the 12 grade categories will be awarded a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at their local Olive Garden restaurant.

For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com/About-Us/News-and-Media/Pasta-Tales/.

Elvis tribute artists sought for contest

Elvis Tribute Artists from across the country will compete for the The 2013 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest – Fill the Blue Suede Shoes at Circle Square Cultural Center on April 6.

The contestants are vying for a spot in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Contest in Memphis in August, where a prize of $20,000 awaits the grand prize winner.

The preliminary round of the Ocala competition begins at 11 a.m. The final round begins at 7 p.m. The contestant registration form can be found at www.CSCulturalCenter.com.

Spectator tickets for the evening event start at $18 and can be purchased at the website or at the ticket office.

For more information, call 854-3670.

Teams sought for

Run for the Springs

The Marion County Office of the County Engineer and Stormwater Management Section will hold Run for the Springs, a corporate 5K event beginning at 7:30 a.m. April 13 at the McPherson Government Complex grounds at 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala. The event will include a children’s play area, refreshments, music and more.

The cost is $20 per runner for a team of 10 or fewer and $15 per runner for a team of 11 or more before April 10. Fees are $25 on the day of the race.

For more information, call 671-8686 or visit www.marioncountyfl.org/corporaterun.htm.

Senior Services plans menu for the week

The following meals will be provided by Marion Senior Services, 1101 SW 20th Court, Ocala. Lunches will be delivered by Meals on Wheels; dinners will be provided at Marion Senior Services. For more information, call 620-3501.

SUN CITY CENTER — A Tampa Bay-area community is looking for more centenarians to try and break a world record.

The chamber of commerce in Sun City Center is hosting a Centenarian Birthday Party on March 27. South Bay Hospital is organizing the event and hopes to break the record for the largest gathering of people 100 years old and older.

The current record of 28 was set in the United Kingdom during a 2009 tea party.

<p>Police beat</p><p><b>Deputies look for bathroom bandit</b></p><p>The Marion County Sheriff's Office was called in Saturday to look into the theft of at least a dozen rolls of toilet paper and paper towels from public bathrooms at the Santos Trailhead on the Florida Greenway Trail.</p><p>According to the sheriff's office report, an attendant who cleans facilities at area state parks found the paper towel dispenser “ripped of the wall” and the toilet paper missing Saturday morning. The trailhead is only a few hundred yards from a sheriff's substation at U.S. 441 and Southeast 80th Street.</p><p>The attendant reported a similar theft at another park in northeast Ocala recently. The loss of paper products and damages were estimated at $75, according to the report.</p><p><b>Deputies, volunteers still search for man</b></p><p>Another round of searching for a man missing for several weeks failed Sunday to find any trace of the 64-year-old Oak Run resident.</p><p>The Marion County Sheriff's Office search and rescue team, assisted by volunteers, scoured woods near the intersection of Southwest 80th Avenue and Southwest 103rd Street Road.</p><p>Thomas Edward Mascaro has been missing since late February, according to the Sheriff's Office. Reportedly his car was in the garage and his driver's license, cash and debit card were in the house.</p><p>Mascaro is described as a white male who stands 5-foot, 8-inches tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has gray hair, a beard and brown eyes.</p><p>“He used to walk around the neighborhood,” said Denise Leigh, an Oak Run neighbor who joined the search Sunday. “He stayed pretty much to himself and didn't initiate conversations.”</p><p>According to a sheriff's office report, Mascaro has been known to walk trails on the nearby Florida Greenway.</p><p>“His being missing is suspicious only in that we want to know he's OK,” said Capt. Grady Grimes, sheriff's watch commander on Sunday. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sgt. Jerry Bevan at 427-7682.</p><p> </p><p>Community</p><p><b>YMCA scholarship luncheon planned</b></p><p>Annual scholarship luncheon</p><p>The annual YMCA Scholarship kick-off luncheon will be held at noon Thursday at the YMCA, 3200 SE 17th St. Ocala.</p><p>Reservations are required by Wednesday. For more information, call 368-9622.</p><p><b>FWC to host an open house for fishermen</b></p><p>Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission freshwater fisheries biologists are looking for angler input during an open house 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Gander Mountain, 3970 SW Third St., Ocala. For more information, visit MyFWC.com/Fishing.</p><p><b>Deadline for essay contest approaches</b></p><p>The deadline for Olive Garden's 17th annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest, which asks students “How would you help end hunger in your community?” is Friday.</p><p>Students in first through 12th grades can submit an essay of 50 to 250 words.</p><p>The grand-prize winner is a three-day family trip to New York City and a $2,500 U.S. Savings Bond and Olive Garden will provide a $5,000 grant to support hunger initiatives in his or her community. Winners in each of the 12 grade categories will be awarded a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at their local Olive Garden restaurant.</p><p>For more information, visit www.olivegarden.com/About-Us/News-and-Media/Pasta-Tales/.</p><p><b>Elvis tribute artists sought for contest</b></p><p>Elvis Tribute Artists from across the country will compete for the The 2013 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest – Fill the Blue Suede Shoes at Circle Square Cultural Center on April 6.</p><p>The contestants are vying for a spot in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artists Contest in Memphis in August, where a prize of $20,000 awaits the grand prize winner.</p><p>The preliminary round of the Ocala competition begins at 11 a.m. The final round begins at 7 p.m. The contestant registration form can be found at www.CSCulturalCenter.com. </p><p>Spectator tickets for the evening event start at $18 and can be purchased at the website or at the ticket office.</p><p>For more information, call 854-3670.</p><p><b>Teams sought for</p><p>Run for the Springs</b></p><p>The Marion County Office of the County Engineer and Stormwater Management Section will hold Run for the Springs, a corporate 5K event beginning at 7:30 a.m. April 13 at the McPherson Government Complex grounds at 601 SE 25th Ave., Ocala. The event will include a children's play area, refreshments, music and more.</p><p>The cost is $20 per runner for a team of 10 or fewer and $15 per runner for a team of 11 or more before April 10. Fees are $25 on the day of the race.</p><p>For more information, call 671-8686 or visit www.marioncountyfl.org/corporaterun.htm.</p><p><b>Senior Services plans menu for the week</b></p><p>The following meals will be provided by Marion Senior Services, 1101 SW 20th Court, Ocala. Lunches will be delivered by Meals on Wheels; dinners will be provided at Marion Senior Services. For more information, call 620-3501.</p><p><i>Lunch</i></p><p><b>Today:</b> Lasagna casserole, garlic spinach, Italian vegetable medley, whole wheat bread, mixed fruit cup, low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Tuesday:</b> Salisbury steak, noodles with brown gravy, garden peas, dinner roll, low-fat milk</p><p><b>Wednesday:</b> Chef salad, French dressing, carrot-raisin salad, whole grain bread, dessert, low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Thursday:</b> Chicken parmesan, California vegetables, Italian flat beans, whole grain bread, peaches, low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Friday:</b> Meatballs with brown gravy, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, white bread, pears, low-fat milk.</p><p><i>Dinner</i></p><p><b>Tonight:</b> Sliced meatloaf with mushroom gravy, scalloped potatoes, green peas, whole grain bread, applesauce and low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Tuesday:</b> Meatballs with tomato gravy, rotini noodles, mixed vegetables, whole grain bread, mixed fruit, low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Wednesday:</b> Chicken chop suey over steamed rice, green beans, gingered carrots, whole grain bread, peaches, low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Thursday:</b> Tuna pasta salad, marinated broccoli salad, whole grain bread, orange, graham crackers, low-fat milk.</p><p><b>Friday:</b> Oven fried chicken thigh, black eyed peas, country vegetable medley, wheat bread, pineapple, low-fat milk.</p><p> </p><p>STATE</p><p><b>Centenarians sought to break world record</b></p><p>SUN CITY CENTER — A Tampa Bay-area community is looking for more centenarians to try and break a world record.</p><p>The chamber of commerce in Sun City Center is hosting a Centenarian Birthday Party on March 27. South Bay Hospital is organizing the event and hopes to break the record for the largest gathering of people 100 years old and older.</p><p>The current record of 28 was set in the United Kingdom during a 2009 tea party.</p><p>So far, 17 centenarians plan to attend the party.</p><p><i>— The Associated Press</i></p>